By Tenzin Tsering
Dharamsala, May 4 – A Tibetan was arrested Sunday in Tibet’s capital Lhasa for staging a protest against the Chinese government’s handling of the earthquake relief funds. Samdup Gyatso, 28, shouted anti government slogans at a busy Tsuglakhang where many Tibetans had gathered for religious activities. “Invite the Dalai Lama to Tibet, “release the Panchen Lama, ” he chanted. He demanded “proper allocation and delivery of earthquake relief materials and funds received from international donors to the much needed nomadic communities in Kyegudo”. He was immediately nabbed by the Public Security Bureau officials and taken away. There is no information as to where he has been taken.
Samdup Gyatso was born in a nomad family in Haiyan County, Tsochang (Ch: Haibei) “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” (‘TAP’) in Qinghai Province. He was a former student of Sherab Gatsel Lobling, a Transit School for newly arrived adult Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala. Samdup came into exile in November 2007 and studied for a year at Sherab Gatsel Lobling School. In March 2008, he returned to Tibet via Tibet-Nepal border of Dram and was arrested for carrying several books of speeches by the Dalai Lama who is reviled by China as a “separatist,” and subsequently detained at Shigatse PSB Detention Centre for a month. He was later shifted to Drapchi Prison where he spent six months. He went back to his hometown after his release from prison in October 2008.
His arrest comes after China detained a popular Tibetan writer Tagyal, better known by his penname ‘shogdung’ for criticizing China for its handling of the earthquake relief funds. He was charged of “sedition to split the country”, while his family and friends contend that the reason for his arrest was his signing a joint letter that accused the authorities of corruption and cautioned people against sending donations to government related organizations.
